Modern Baked Mac and Cheese With Cheddar and Gruyère Recipe

A special salt is the key to this amazingly easy mac and cheese. [Photograph: Vicky Wasik]>

This baked macaroni and cheese recipe harnesses the amazing emulsifying powers of sodium citrate, the same salt used to make American cheese so incredibly meltable. Simply blend the grated cheese of your choice (we use cheddar) into water that has sodium citrate dissolved into it, and the most gooey, smooth, and silky cheese sauce emerges. Then just toss it with your pasta, some more cheese, top with buttery bread crumbs, and bake. Baked mac and cheese can't get any easier than this.

Why It Works

Sodium citrate, a type of salt that is commonly added to club soda and processed cheese, can turn the cheese of your choice into a perfect cheese sauce.

Directions

1.

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium pot of salted boiling water, cook elbow macaroni until just shy of al dente, about 2 minutes less than package cooking time. Drain, then transfer pasta to large mixing bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons (30g) butter until butter is melted and pasta is evenly coated. Set aside.

2.

In a large saucepan, bring 3 cups (700ml) water to a simmer. Whisk in sodium citrate until fully dissolved. While maintaining a gentle simmer, add Cheddar cheese in small increments, using an immersion blender to incorporate it completely into the sauce before the next addition. When all the cheese is added and the sauce is smooth and glossy, blend in hot sauce, mustard powder, and garlic powder. Season with salt, if necessary.

3.

Scrape cheese sauce into pasta and mix until evenly coated. Let cool slightly, then add grated Gruyere and mix well. Scrape pasta into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and smooth surface to an even layer.

4.

Add panko to a small mixing bowl. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, then add to panko and mix until evenly coated. Season with salt. Scatter panko all over surface of mac and cheese in an even layer. Bake on top rack until browned and bubbling, about 45 minutes (ovens can vary, check often to prevent top from burning).

5.

Let mac and cheese rest 15 minutes, then serve. Leftover mac and cheese can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; it reheats surprisingly well in the microwave or oven.

Special Equipment

Notes

Food grade sodium citrate is available online; buy it once, then have a supply for making awesome cheese sauce and cheese dip for years—you won't regret having it your pantry. For the cheese, any semi-firm cheese, such as cheddar, Swiss, Gruyère, Fontina, and Jack, can work here; feel free to use whichever appeal to you. Casserole can be assembled up through the end of step 3 then covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before baking. Increase baking time by 15 minutes if refrigerated.

This Recipe Appears In

Daniel cooked for years in some of New York's top American, Italian and French restaurants - starting at the age of 13, when he began staging at the legendary restaurant Chanterelle. He spent nearly a year working on organic farms in Europe, where he harvested almonds and Padron peppers in Spain, shepherded a flock of more than 200 sheep in Italy, and made charcuterie in France. When not working on, thinking about, cooking and eating food, he blows off steam (and calories) as an instructor of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art.

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